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What the Flogging of Iranian Musician Mehdi Yarrahi Tells Us
Men stand shoulder to shoulder with women in the fight for justice
The dimly lit chambers of Iran’s Morality Security Prosecutor’s Office, the echoes of a lash striking human flesh, were not just a sound but a statement — one of cruelty, oppression, and an unwavering commitment to silence dissent.
Mehdi Yarrahi, a celebrated musician whose voice once soared above political turmoil, now bears not only the scars of a brutal flogging but also the weight of a regime that fears art as much as it fears rebellion.
Yarrahi is not the first artist to be persecuted by the Iranian government, nor will he be the last if this brutal pattern continues unchecked. Across history, authoritarian regimes have feared the power of music, poetry, and art because they serve as the purest expressions of human resistance.
Whether it was Victor Jara’s songs before his brutal execution in Chile or Fela Kuti’s music resisting military oppression in Nigeria, artists have always been seen…
